Pneumatic conveyer.



E. F. & T. P. BIRKENKAMP.

PNEUMATIC UONVBYEB.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31. 1911.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

2 SHEETS-8HEET 14 B. F. & T. P. BIRKENKAMP.

PNEUMATIC OONVEYER.

APPLIOA'I'IOI nun) my 31, 1911.

1,034,961 Patented Aug. 6,1912.

2 BHHETB-8HEET 2.

W7 W; m;m

UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE.

EDWARD F. BIRKENKAMP AND THEODOR F. BIRKENKAMP, 0F FARMERSVILLE, ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC CONVEYER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD F. Bienniu- KAMP and THnonon F. BIRKICNKAMP, c1t1- Zens of the United States, residing at Farmersville,\in the county of lvlontgomery and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pneumatic conveycrs, and has for an object to provide a conveyor which will include a blast-fan and a hopper which are adjustably connected with each .other so that the grain when de livered to the hopper will be automatically conveyed to the blast-fan, from which latter the grain can be effectively conveyed to the bins of the granary.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the blast-fans and the hopper relatively so as to permit of the latter being operatively associated with the Wagon or the like from which the grain is to be unloaded.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for forming a perfect airtight joint between the opening at one side of the blast-fan casing and the conduit of the hopper so that a suction will be created in the conduit when the fan is operated to thereby cause the grain to be drawn downwardly in the conduit for its effective discharge into the fan casing.

In the drawings, forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the convcyer showing the hopper in its receiving position in full lines and in its folded position in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end view of the hopper. Fig. 5 is a side view of the fan casing showing a portion of the conduit of the hopper thereon, the latter being in an open position. Fig. 6 is a side "cw showing a slightly modified form of Lus Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 31, 1911.

tented Aug. 6, 1912.

Serial No. 630,289.

in the conveying tube or conduit at. The conduit 4 is preferably constructed of tele scopic sections, the uppermost section being provided with a flexible adjustable hood 5 to facilitate directing the grain to the desired bin when the apparatus is in use.

One end of the fan shaft is mounted in a spider (J in the draft opening 7 at one side oi. the fan casing. At this side of the fan casing, and exteriorly thereof, is a circular retainer 8 in which is mounted a gasket 9. The hopper conduit 10 comprises an upper section 11 and a lower section 12, thelatter liaving an attaching plate 13 thereon which is hinged, at 14, to one side of the fan casing, being adapted for frictional contact with the gasket 9 so as to effect a perfect airtight connection at this point, a suitable clamp 15 being employed for the purpose of securely holding the plate 13 confined against the gasket. Thehinge-pin 16 which connects the hinge-knuckles 17 of the plate 3 with the hinge-knuckle 18 of the fan casing removable so as to permit the hopper to be readily disconnected from the fan casing when desired.

The hopper 1!) is provided with a bottom 20 which inclines downwardly in the direction of the conduit 10 so that the grain will tend to flow by gravity to the conduit as will be understood. The section 11 of the conduit is preferably formed as an integral part of the hopper, the upper end thereof being arranged in open communication with the hopper, as shown. At the outer end, the hopper is provided with supporting legs .21 which include the telescopic sections 22 and 23 and the set screws 24 for holding the sections in their adjusted positions. From this construction the hopper can be adjusted vertically with respect to the ground and thereby disposed in efiiective receiving position with the wagon or the like from which the grain is to be unloaded.

At the discharge end the hopper is provided with a suitable regulating gate 25 which may be operated so as to govern the flow of the grain to the fan casing. When the apparatus is not in use the hopper can be readily swung to one side, as shown in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, where it will remain out of the path of the roadway. From the construction of the conreyer it is evident that when the fan is in operation the air will be drawn into the casing by way of the conduit 10, as illustrated by the arrows in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This causes a positive feed of the grain from the hopper to the casing. The upper end of the section 12 of the grain conduit 10 is provided with an elastic sleeve 26 which is adapted to, be effectively adjusted against the exterior of the section 11 of the conduit through the medium of the clamp 27. This seals the joint between the sections 11 and 12 and causes the air to be drawn into the conduit through the hopper.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the hopper 28 is mounted upon the fan casing 29 by means of a swinging bracket 30, the latter having pintles 31 which are operatively mounted in horizontally disposed eye members 32 which extend from the fan casing, being disposed thereon so as to permit the hopper to be readily moved into its operative or inoperative position as the occasion may warrant.

\Ve claim:

In a conveyer, a blower casing having an intake opening therein at one side and a discharge tube extending at right angles to the axis of said opening, a vertically adjustable hopper, a feed tube extending from said hopper and provided at its discharge end with an annular plate, having a hinged knuckle, a gate adjustable across the hopper at the point of conhection of the feed tube therewith, another hinged knuckle located adjacent to the intake opening of the blower casing, a pin connecting the former and. latter mentioned hinged knuckles, whereby said hopper may be swung from operative position at right angles to the blower eas ing to a position parallel to the blower ing, and a fan mounted in said blower casing.

In testimony whereof we atiiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EDW'ARD F. BIRKENKAMP.

THEODOR F. BIRKENKAMP.

\Vitnesses:

WM. H. LEAHAN, ALBERT GUTHALS. 

